Windfarm plans face council objection

Proposals for a major new windfarm near the Cairngorm National Park are likely to face objections from Aberdeenshire Council.

Coriolis Energy has tabled an application to the Scottish Government for the installation of 26 wind turbines and associated infrastructure on the Fasque and Glendye Estates, north of Edzell.

But in a report to its Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee next week, the council is recommending members oppose the development and refer the issue to the infrastructure services committee for a formal objection to be made.

Councillors will be told the local authority considers that the “significant environmental effects” in terms of landscape and visual amenity, are sufficient to outweigh the benefits of the scheme to contribute towards meeting Scotland’s renewable energy production.

Demonstrating that the windfarm would be contrary to a number of Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan policies, the report states: “The proposal cannot be supported and as such it is recommended that Aberdeenshire raise an objection regarding the application to the Scottish Government.”

Councillors will hear that the Scottish Government has been consulted alongside other stakeholders including Angus Council, Cairngorms National Park, Scottish Natural Heritage and SEPA.

Under the scheme, which was first unveiled in 2016, 26 three-bladed turbines would be installed across 1,500 hectares – each with a maximum height of 149.9m to blade tip – and having an electrical capacity of around 4MW.

That will generate an anticipated 104MW across the development which could have a 30-year lifespan. But the development is facing a raft of objections.

The Ministry of Defence has cited “unacceptable interference” on the Air Defence radar at RRH Buchan as their reason.

SEPA has objected to the proposal owing to the lack of information on peat avoidance and reuse, existing groundwater abstractions and Groundwater Dependant Terrestrial Ecosystems.

The John Muir Trust has also objected on the grounds of the adverse visual impacts and cumulative impacts of the development around Cairngorm National Park.